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US Should Make Amends

The United States should take necessary measures to undo its past mistakes regarding Iran's nuclear issue, President Hassan Rouhani told reporters at the end of his provincial trip to the holy city of Qom on Thursday.

"The US should make an effort to rectify the wrong steps it took in the past," IRNA quoted Rouhani as saying.

Asked whether the US has had a constructive role in nuclear talks, he said it has been the main culprit behind all the problems, adding, "If it hadn't been for the Americans, Iran would definitely have reached a deal with the three European countries [Britain, France and Germany on its nuclear program] in 2004. Their foreign ministries now say that the US prevented the agreement being reached," he noted.

Disarming Enemy

Elsewhere, Rouhani said, "The enemy is brandishing a sword in the dark, which may hit and hurt someone," adding, "Today, we have grabbed their wrist and are squeezing it through negotiations to drop the sword."

Iran is trying to disarm the West of their weapon of "cruel and inhumane" sanctions, and the best way to achieve this objective is negotiation, he stated.

Rouhani also said whatever the outcome of the talks, whether positive or not, the country has nothing to lose, adding US administration officials acknowledge the fact that if the negotiations fail, it will be impossible to maintain their alliance with the countries they have united against Iran, and they will end up "isolated".

Pointing to the growing ties with other countries, such as China and some European countries, Rouhani said, "Today, our relations with all our neighbors, except one or two, have increased enormously."

During his two-day trip, Rouhani also met with some grand ayatollahs. Voicing their full support of the administration's record in various areas, the senior clerics expressed hope that it would continue to take effective measures to address the current social and economic challenges facing the country.